My brother and I will always remember, how we got traumatized, when we encountered Pyramid Head for the first time. That part where James said something was in the north. After walking in the hallway, seeing that terrifying creature behind bars, staring at us, scared the shit out of us. It still does today.
He scared the shit of me the first half of the game butt after I saw Maria alive again I knew something was fishy. Anyway by his final fight I didn't want to hurt him he was my favorite thing about silent Hill and still is my favorite monster out of anything.
What I loved about this was it wasn't a jumpscare. So many horror games nowadays rely on the shock from a jumpscare as opposed to suspense and atmosphere.
Also in respect to James, its revealed at the end why he was capable of redemption. Its because he did something terrible (killing his wife) though he admits he did it "because he couldn't watch her suffer". Unlike Eddy who allowed the darkness to consume his heart, James was no Chris Watts. He tried to help and assist Eddy and Angela. He tried to protect the little girl and even chased her across town with Maria. He killed the Abstract daddy to protect Angela. He remained concerned about her despite the way she treated him(most people would be happy to leave her there). He also wasn't disheartened by the monsters and darkness and faced them. All of this indicates James is someone who is KIND and COURAGEOUS. Maria is a TEST of James moral compass and thats why how you deal with her and the letter depends on what ending you get.
I like to see Pyramid Head as like an ultimately salvific one whose means slash through the protagonist's neurotic inhibitions against what he's looking for.
ik this is a joke but TECHNICALLYYYYYYY he could probably be in smash because of silent hill shattered memories he has a cameo so he has been in a nintendo game
Thus Pyramid head is the "shadow" to James psyche. The parts of himself hes repressed in his subconscious (in the id). The murderer (the one who murdered his wife) and that's why he continued to kill Maria right in front of James. It was James own way of saying to himself "look what you did". Each time you encounter him, you see him with more dangerous weapons. It represents James getting closer to his own personal truth. If you removed Pyramid heads helmet you would see James. A darker manifestation of James like in Silent Hill 3's Heather. Pyramid Head is the shadow of James self just like Heather had a shadow as well.
I agree with you wholeheartedly. Pyramid Head isn’t exclusive to James, he’s an independent entity that dwells within the town. HOWEVER Silent Hill 2’s version of PH is the best, his other appearances are just fan service to me. I feel PH could appear in other SH games BUT ONLY if Ito is involved~
@@rednovember0179 Yeah and even Masahiro Ito said he designed Pyramid Head exclusively for James and was planning to let Valtiel kills him in the cancelled Silent Hills because he was not happy with PH being used as a fan service with no proper backstory. When a fan asks him if Pyramid Head could appear to different people not just to James, he jokingly asked “well do those people killed their wives as well?”
Sadly, Ito said he'd only return to Silent Hill if Pyramid Head was permanently killed off or if Pyramid Head was completely absent from all future installments
Anyone ever noticed that when PH groans whilst leveling his weapon to strike, he sounds like James? They used the same voice clip. So many details. (He only does it a few times, not with every strike.)
Totally love your interpretation/analysis on Pyramid Head. Quite similar with Ragnar Rox & add more depths with historical stuffs. I think you should check out that channel too, especially for great recommendations on overlooked/underrated horror games.
someone else who watches NitroRad? ;) if you don't know who i'm talking about they're a great horror youtuber that just made an excellent review of it a couple days ago.
I don't see them as the real pyramid head. I loved the first silent Hill movie because it felt like silent hill. I don't know what the fuck they were going for with Revelations. I cringed so bad on the fight scene. The whole thing was Garbage. As for homecoming the monster design was nice but that's the only thing I enjoyed. They need to give the rights back to kojima and team silent. And just let make the games.
@@jorgecaimanque6951 Aaaaand this is why I dislike internet, we never know what is real or not. So many people spread stuff, I guess we'll never know.....
Masahiro Ito had recently confirmed that Pyramid Head was created only for James, here´s the tweet: twitter.com/adsk4/status/1216647897267097600 Also, he mentioned that the name of the creature is actually Pyramid Head, the description of "Red Pyramid Thing" is only how James describes it, here's the quote: twitter.com/adsk4/status/1309557721692164096
Excellent work on this one Muse 👍 I'm so glad I found your channel😊 I only wish I had found it sooner than last December. Keep up the great work, and take care.
Just popping in to say that one of the most common meanings of the Greek letter Delta (a triangle) is *change*, as in, PH is trying to help James change his ways. Change as a person. so the fact that pyramid head has three triangles making up his head is full of meaning also. (Delta has also been adopted/used by the LGBT community in the past so there's that also....)
Pyramid Head is actively trying to kill James throughout the game. It wouldn't make sense for Pyramid Head to want to help James as James created Pyramid Head to punish him.
I live for videos like this! Sidenote: I always find it weird that a Tourist attraction in a nice pleasant town, would have such a horrific painting such as Pyramid head hanging on their walls? That's like taking your kids to Butlins and having I.T. hanging in a gallery of one of the local Weatherspoons.
I think the Pyramid Head painting is just a manifestation of the dark world. The only picture the real world Silent Hill had was the one of the hooded figures. But that's like Salem Massachusetts having historical pictures of those who conducted the Witch Trials.
Damn this was deeply thought provoking. Could you make a sequel to this diving deeper? I thought the references of old testament judges with pyramid head was fascinating!
I just got my Red Pyramid action figure today, this is one of my favorite games ever and the design of PH is so chilling. I fucking looooove iiiiiittttt.
Wow, I love this. Silent Hill is just an amazing game, and people are right to ding into it. I do think you go a little bit too deep, but either/or, great content!
I loved your investigation and information on this video, and how you compare with the Judges of ancient history. Pyramid head is one of the most beautiful depictions of the suffering of guilt, is a piece of art.
IMO Pyramid Head is a driving force for those in denial, leading them to knowledge. He was indeed a punisher in the Ancient Silent Hill culture, that is now manisfested through the city's power to those who need to remember, because remembering what they've done is the punishment/judgment itself. That's why he also got a role in Alex's story in Homecoming (although I have my doubts about that game's fidelity to the lore), since alex is also an amnesiac character that commited a crime. So yeah, James' PH only exists to James and behaves like he does because of James. Alex's for instance is not a rappist, instead, it "shows" Alex the truth by killing a family member. It's also muscular and more "masculine" than James', since Alex "is" a military and James is a regular guy. It's a shame Homecoming ended up being such a bad and generic game.
@@mistylee3621 Yeah, but still not as bad as Downpoor (yes, downPoor, not downpour), and Shattered Memories.... People still love those though, they have the right to, but they are so bad to me. Same for when newcomers mention that Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness is a masterpiece..... it's still one of the worst TR games, for many reasons. -Jill
Interesting takes (and makes sense to me) but I’m curious if you think there’s any connections to Xuchilbapa (which I’m probably misspelling, since it’s been forever since I played SH2), the “red god.” I know a lot of folks have equated that to PH (and Lobsel Vith, the “Yellow God” to Valtiel) so I’m wondering if you feel there’s any relation there, and why or why not? Great vid, as always. Keep it up.
I believe the original intent of Pyramid Head and the idea that went into his creation during Silent Hill 2(and ignoring any information added in sequels) is....yes he has been seen by other people, but not in the form James/The Player see him. I believe Pyramid Head is a fragment of Xuchilbara(The Red God/The Crimson One). Not him pursue, but a piece of him, as is Maria. This is why both Pyramid Head and Maria both share the color red and are both opposites. Pyramid Head is physically imposing and frightening with a malicious exterior, yet he helps James. Maria is physically attractive and presents herself as caring and wanting the best for James but is selfish, and secretly despises him for rejecting her and in the end tries to kill him. *The lies and the mist are not they, but I* It has been viewed by other characters in the past and in the game. Walter Sullivan(pre SH4 retcon) saw it as a “Red Devil” trying to punish him, and the hospital director saw it as a “thing” that isn’t even described. Eddie made a passive comment that “he” was always bustin his balls, telling him how fat and ugly he was. This is how Eddie encountered it. It tormented him with ridicule and made him bare witness to people making fun of him endlessly(the corpses James finds in the prison). Angela most likely saw it as in incarnation of her father during the Abstract Daddy boss fight(as Masahiro Ito has stated what Angela saw was completely different from what James/The Player saw). James saw it in the form of an executioner who repeatedly murdered an effigy of James’ wife to remind him of his terrible deed. So the only part James contributed to it’s creation was it’s visage, which was tailored to him. It’s much like Dream from the Sandman comics, as it takes different forms which are tailored to whoever encounters it. It is kindred in concept to Valtiel from Silent Hill 3 who is an angel who takes different forms based on whoever sees him.
Silent Hill has so much story potential, as greatly demonstrated in your videos, and yet Konami opts for a slot machine game! Thanks for the effort you put in your analyses.
Never thought about how pyramid head was mentioned by other characters in SH2. This might justify his use in homecoming 🤔 but I don’t think Alex actually did anything to require his judgment
True homecoming was just a failed attempt at trying to recapture the essence of the originals without understanding the fundamentals but overall I think it was a decent game especially if it would’ve just went it’s own way instead of keeping the franchise in a half dead state
I didn't know the thing with James creating PH from seeing the painting on vacation was disputed. Interesting with the notes and stuff. Hadn't imagined there was another explanation before.
@@mistylee3621 interesting alternative! I guess I only ever heard one explanation and just stopped there cos it made enough sense to me. But yours makes sense too (as does the video's).
@@Torthrodhel Thanks man. The only problem I could find with the video's explanation is that form of PH is what James sees. If he can take any form at any time it's wired that he'd show up like that portrait. But I honestly I would not be surprised if that were the case.
@@mistylee3621 I think I still go with the vacation explanation, all things considered. Since why should it be weird that they visited the historical society during a holiday, anyway? It's obviously a tourist attraction, and it's right there on the lake. Not unusual at all to think he saw that painting, or at least the photo of the old town executioners that somewhat resemble PH. The odd artistic rendition of the painting itself is supposedly due to the artist wanting to inspire awe in the town's cult authority figures, and that makes sense to me as well. Though I do have the notion now (that I lacked before) that perhaps the painting itself is not appearing in the game as it actually appears in real life, the town's magic and/or James's mental state perhaps warping it further-still than the artist might've. It might be more representative of the impression left in his unreliable memory, than the real painting. Such a fascinating series of games that can have the care of detail needed to even cause such fandom disputes though, right? :)
@@Torthrodhel Oh yeah I see where your coming from. Although it could be that the town itself new what James was going to do what he did long before he did and pH could have been watching him the whole time being a manifestation of the red god. Perhaps he knows everyone's future and the ones called to silent hill are not beyond saving. James, Eddie, Angela they could have all been saved but Eddie was overwhelmed by his dark side and Angela was over taking with her sorrow and or her fear of her father and mother. And I accept the in the water ending as the cannon one. So James was over thrown by his lust and regret and decided to end it. Becoming one with his pyramid head guardian angel. The Maria ending is the only fully negative ending. He gives to his delusions and is lost for ever. And PH failed them all. But him becoming one with James as a punisher doesn't mean he's lost. It's how I explain him showing up in later instalments. It works right.
Tell me you didnt turn your pants brown that first time you are walking through the hallways in the hospital toward the elevator and suddenly see Pyramid Head walking behind Maria?. I remember jumping out of my own b hole lol it wasn’t a loud obnoxious jump scare... and was 1000 times more effective... it was just so subtle and quietly out of nowhere to the point you felt like you almost could miss it... always loved that bit.
Sato and Ito both confirmed that James saw Misty days while on vacation with Mary and that the painting was the only reason his psyche triggered PH to manifest, having been there long before James ever was. Misty days is a distorted memory of the executioners of the town who worshipped Valtiel. James has never been the creator of PH and Ito has also admitted that in the larger lore of the series, PH is just the second representation of Valtiel to be seen.
@@ScoutJoe i dont believe. When he start he put his hat open to his side. Later he moves it slowy to to front and returns... I think it is finding something in dark but maybe @thegamingmuse knows better
@Yousef Ghaneemah after rape the manequin monster. It walks towards james and look at where it is. He extends his han to the left and later move it slowy infront to james and later back. After that james shots at him and it retreats
@@pabloraulpereyra4948 I've always thought of it as PH looking for something. Who knows how much it can see out of its helmet? I think it sensed James and was feeling around, or it could have been sensing vibrations. This could be a stretch, but I wonder if there's a reason that it touches its face the first time you get a good look at it - not unlike James does in the opening cutscene. Ultimately, it comes off as an exaggerated, unnatural series of movements performed by a creature that is humanoid, but slightly off so as to be disturbing.
@@A_Red_Pyramid i agree. Anyway it was a odd monent. Specially cos the game takes a lot of time to show you that. Also i still down know if pyramid head is carbon based or sylicon based
Been watching your channel all day on this spooky Sunday~ I believe if Masahiro Ito ever worked on another SH game then Pyramid Head CAN return. We as the fans see Pyramid Head as something only James can conjure up, but I believe MASAHIRO ITO manifests PH into SH games. What I’m trying to say is if Ito was working on a SH game, if he brought back PH I’m sure he’d do it in a legit way…idk what I’m saying….ramblings of a crazy lady….sorry y’all
Thank you for these symbolism videos! Silent Hill will always be my favorite horror game series since it’s not just scary-it stays with you (as is it’s driving point). Honestly, in the Silent Hill Movie, I thought the whole psychological horror trend would finally be on Hollywood screens, but it was just one big monster throwback exhibition. The use of pyramid head was just lazy and random and had nothing to do with the character. 😒
This guy... He fucking terrifies me but only because I do understand that he is a tormentor a creature of considerable power that exists to be a dark terrible reflection of a person's worst traits. But if people could please not cosplay him so damn convincingly I'd be really appreciative.
@@FocusedFighter777 I said cosplay him convincingly I don't want people to do that I don't care if they cosplay just please don't be so damn convincing with it
I am working on a petition for all Silent Hill games to be remastered for X-- Box One consoles. I am a big fan love everything about the Silent Hill movies and games. that is why I am asking others to join my petition. to bring this back to us gamer fans. lets face it this is one of those places you can't help but explore. you feel what the characters do as they appear. the music also tells you something it gives a hint of what they are like. and if sooner or later players will notice things in the game rhey didn't see the first time around. the place is creepy but at the same time also peaceful and timeless. residence are watching and no person sees they are looking out from within. and not every monster is a manifestation of things in lives of outsiders no way. the Pyramid man could be anyone we still don't know what it is. I don't believe it's Walter Sullivan or Eric Gein. and it sure as hell ain't Jack the Ripper. hey could it be Robbie the Rabbit? no not really alright well I still keep guessing. I'll chugged a few health drinks then do more exploring later. right now Maria has come to dance for us lets watch.
I hate that twistin stretching thing he does when james is in the closet like…wtf is it doing? Cus its not stretching its muscles i doubt it needs to do that and the thing with its hand…is it looking? Or just feeling around…pyramid head fucking scares me. I mean….he doesnt exactly throw…he kinda whacks you off the roof with his knife from what i can see just be glad he use the blunt end..ithink
Awesome video x can you please analyse the born from a wish segment where you play as maria sometime in the future x would love to hear your thoughts. Hope your doing amazing
A poor passing of the torch, unrelated to the original artistic intent of the creators of SH2. I wouldn't relate the two, instead I would look at both as separate from eachother in every way. Appreciate the SH2 pyramid head in its way, and appreciate the Homecoming pyramid head as its own separate story.
I always interpreted it as not becoming “the” new Pyramid Head, but becoming “a” Pyramid Head. There’s at least some implication that Alex’s father was in the Order of Judges as well. I suspect that the order of folks who wear the helm are what was captured in the painting Day of Judgment in the Historical Society. They are humans (or slightly-psychic cultists) who wear that for religious and ritual significance (possibly due to Xuchilbapa or a “real” Pyramid Head influencing them.) They are not the same as whatever it is that stalks James through SH2. Alex as Pyramid Head is that sort. The one he sees early in the game isn’t the “real” one, either; it’s either one of the Judges (potentially his father) or a subconscious manifestation of one. But that’s just my two cents.
I most certainly understood his creation in 2 but I'm not gonna be another miserable and butt-hurt just because they used him again. I would love to see even more of him some day.
No no no. James didn't affect the town. The town affected him. Read "The Heart of Darkness". The town is able to reflect what is in the heart of who enters it. Pyramid head was helping James face his own inner darkness and each encounter guides you to a new level. Pyramid is nothing more than a manifestation of James desire to be punished for killing his wife. Once he knows "the truth" he "doesn't need Pyramid head anymore" and he kills himself. Pyramid head is a symbol exclusive for James and is seen by no one will else but Maria who was also "born from a wish". Remember where it sais "if you want to see your wife again, you should probably kill yourself". All the characters have thier own dilemmas and therefore the town provides thier own experiences. Angela's manifestation was the "abstract daddy" and was only seen by James because unlike Eddie, James was worthy of redemption and was able to enter into her own personal world on a few occasions. Pyramid head is also a character of the "other Silent Hill" though it was possible he was a man when he lived. There is a picture of him wearing a ceremonial robe with a Pyramid head red cross on top. If Silent Hill can delude the world around it, imagine what it could have done to a former cult member? Pyramid head began and ended with James. All other appearances in later games was a cheap way later developers who weren't part of Team Silent to try and keep the theme alive by making Pyramid head an iconic figure. It began with the movie and was done in a cheap way without a deep explanation... It was team Silent that were intrigued by the occult and used Jung's and Frued's theories of the mind id/superego, ego and used them to make sense of the characters and psychological plot.
All the monsters represent something in their own way and are very unique. Like for example The Nurse represents how Mary was sick in the hospital. This video is bad. 1:20
I always wondered why there were 2 Pyramid Heads. If is it because there were two worlds with one of each in them, that collided in the same way the two worlds of Silent Hill collided in a way that represents James' reconception of reality and 'sub-reality'(?). I always puzzled me how Pyramid head also serves as a sort of guide for James, and could this possibly mean that these are the two guides in the real(fog) world and the otherworld respectively? They are also symbolized by the two eggs, the scarlet and the rusted. The scarlet likely symbolizes James' newest (and freshest) kill in the otherworld, and the rusty egg likely symbolizes his old kill of Mary in the real world. When he defeats the two Pyramid heads he pushes on through a door that can only be opened by these two eggs, perhaps symbolizing this exact culmination of the two worlds and the two realities. It's just a thought. :)
I like to imagine it's an intimidation thing because James was used to him by that point. And he wanted to my make sure his job of restoring James to the courageous man he was. Just another thought.
You forgot that Pyramid Head also represents literal fan-service by ripping Anna's clothes off in the movie. Here's a joke for you. What does James call it when Mary pleads for him to stop? Pillow talk.
My brother and I will always remember, how we got traumatized, when we encountered Pyramid Head for the first time.
That part where James said something was in the north. After walking in the hallway, seeing that terrifying creature behind bars, staring at us, scared the shit out of us. It still does today.
He scared the shit of me the first half of the game butt after I saw Maria alive again I knew something was fishy. Anyway by his final fight I didn't want to hurt him he was my favorite thing about silent Hill and still is my favorite monster out of anything.
Same here.
What I loved about this was it wasn't a jumpscare. So many horror games nowadays rely on the shock from a jumpscare as opposed to suspense and atmosphere.
I just love that scene. A friend gave me a big oil paint of that scene, it's in my room S2
I never even saw him, walked right by it lol.
Also in respect to James, its revealed at the end why he was capable of redemption. Its because he did something terrible (killing his wife) though he admits he did it "because he couldn't watch her suffer". Unlike Eddy who allowed the darkness to consume his heart, James was no Chris Watts. He tried to help and assist Eddy and Angela. He tried to protect the little girl and even chased her across town with Maria. He killed the Abstract daddy to protect Angela. He remained concerned about her despite the way she treated him(most people would be happy to leave her there). He also wasn't disheartened by the monsters and darkness and faced them. All of this indicates James is someone who is KIND and COURAGEOUS. Maria is a TEST of James moral compass and thats why how you deal with her and the letter depends on what ending you get.
He remains my favorite protagonist to this day.
I like to see Pyramid Head as like an ultimately salvific one whose means slash through the protagonist's neurotic inhibitions against what he's looking for.
Let's put James in smash and his Final Smash will be Pyramid Head
A suppressed dark need I didn't know I had until you said it
Nah, his final smash will be Pillow Smother
@@chelgonzalo I'm freaking dying rn
ik this is a joke but TECHNICALLYYYYYYY he could probably be in smash because of silent hill shattered memories he has a cameo so he has been in a nintendo game
it would be such a drag to play as james if they include the switching camera angles too
pyramid head never cease to creep me out every time
He never cease to make me enjoy his presence.
Like an old pal coming back.
Similar to Nemesis in the original Resident Evil 3.
-Jill
Though i personally think that for the most part, PH was really just James' manifestation.
Agreed.
Yup. James straight up explains that pyramid head was his own creation at the end of the game.
Thus Pyramid head is the "shadow" to James psyche. The parts of himself hes repressed in his subconscious (in the id). The murderer (the one who murdered his wife) and that's why he continued to kill Maria right in front of James. It was James own way of saying to himself "look what you did". Each time you encounter him, you see him with more dangerous weapons. It represents James getting closer to his own personal truth. If you removed Pyramid heads helmet you would see James. A darker manifestation of James like in Silent Hill 3's Heather. Pyramid Head is the shadow of James self just like Heather had a shadow as well.
That's why I accept the in the water ending as the cannon one it makes the most since.
Shadow is not inherently evil. It is merely unknown to ourselves.
Anyone ever noticed that when PH groans whilst leveling his weapon to strike, he sounds like James?
They used the same voice clip.
I agree with you wholeheartedly. Pyramid Head isn’t exclusive to James, he’s an independent entity that dwells within the town. HOWEVER Silent Hill 2’s version of PH is the best, his other appearances are just fan service to me.
I feel PH could appear in other SH games BUT ONLY if Ito is involved~
James created Pyramid head from his psyche. So he is exclusive to James.
@@rednovember0179 Yeah and even Masahiro Ito said he designed Pyramid Head exclusively for James and was planning to let Valtiel kills him in the cancelled Silent Hills because he was not happy with PH being used as a fan service with no proper backstory. When a fan asks him if Pyramid Head could appear to different people not just to James, he jokingly asked “well do those people killed their wives as well?”
Sadly, Ito said he'd only return to Silent Hill if Pyramid Head was permanently killed off or if Pyramid Head was completely absent from all future installments
Yeah I hate the fan service.
Anyone ever noticed that when PH groans whilst leveling his weapon to strike, he sounds like James?
They used the same voice clip.
So many details. (He only does it a few times, not with every strike.)
Totally love your interpretation/analysis on Pyramid Head. Quite similar with Ragnar Rox & add more depths with historical stuffs. I think you should check out that channel too, especially for great recommendations on overlooked/underrated horror games.
I love the way Pyramid Head moved. Everything about his movement just scream unsettling and creepy. Yet there's so many layers to him
Will you do a video of the symbolism of fatal frame?
Enialis Nailo and how about that game where you can look through the zombie's eyes?
@@126theman the siren series?
someone else who watches NitroRad? ;) if you don't know who i'm talking about they're a great horror youtuber that just made an excellent review of it a couple days ago.
The 7 dislikes are from Maria.
I hated that pyramid head turned into a generic monster in the movies and the horrible SH homecoming.Should always be James judge and that only
I don't see them as the real pyramid head. I loved the first silent Hill movie because it felt like silent hill. I don't know what the fuck they were going for with Revelations. I cringed so bad on the fight scene. The whole thing was Garbage. As for homecoming the monster design was nice but that's the only thing I enjoyed. They need to give the rights back to kojima and team silent. And just let make the games.
Masahiro Ito has confirmed the Pyramid is his actual head and not a helmet.
It's crazy isn't it.
I thought he said James' face is likely what was under the helmet.
@@TheHaddonfieldRegistry Nope, only meat, it's like an exoskeleton.
I think you misread, he actually said "there's no way the helmet is his actual head"
@@jorgecaimanque6951
Aaaaand this is why I dislike internet, we never know what is real or not.
So many people spread stuff, I guess we'll never know.....
Masahiro Ito had recently confirmed that Pyramid Head was created only for James, here´s the tweet: twitter.com/adsk4/status/1216647897267097600
Also, he mentioned that the name of the creature is actually Pyramid Head, the description of "Red Pyramid Thing" is only how James describes it, here's the quote: twitter.com/adsk4/status/1309557721692164096
Thanks for this!
If you aren't already a teacher or professor, you should look into it.
The movie and SH Homecoming turn to PH in a generic monster. Also, i always thought than PH only exist because of James.
It's sorta fun to think of SH as a "morphogenetic field" (Terence McKenna). As a place that is added to by every visitor.
Excellent work on this one Muse 👍 I'm so glad I found your channel😊 I only wish I had found it sooner than last December. Keep up the great work, and take care.
Woke up to this video on a super foggy morning. Perfect. ❤️
Just popping in to say that one of the most common meanings of the Greek letter Delta (a triangle) is *change*, as in, PH is trying to help James change his ways. Change as a person. so the fact that pyramid head has three triangles making up his head is full of meaning also. (Delta has also been adopted/used by the LGBT community in the past so there's that also....)
I learned something new today, thank you
Pyramid Head is actively trying to kill James throughout the game. It wouldn't make sense for Pyramid Head to want to help James as James created Pyramid Head to punish him.
I live for videos like this! Sidenote:
I always find it weird that a Tourist attraction in a nice pleasant town, would have such a horrific painting such as Pyramid head hanging on their walls?
That's like taking your kids to Butlins and having I.T. hanging in a gallery of one of the local Weatherspoons.
I think the Pyramid Head painting is just a manifestation of the dark world. The only picture the real world Silent Hill had was the one of the hooded figures. But that's like Salem Massachusetts having historical pictures of those who conducted the Witch Trials.
@@BelieveIt1051 fair enough cheers for the explination :)
I live for your symbolism videos
Damn this was deeply thought provoking. Could you make a sequel to this diving deeper? I thought the references of old testament judges with pyramid head was fascinating!
@Yousef Ghaneemah o boy. Don't read Judges 19 then
I just got my Red Pyramid action figure today, this is one of my favorite games ever and the design of PH is so chilling. I fucking looooove iiiiiittttt.
Love the content!
Wow, I love this. Silent Hill is just an amazing game, and people are right to ding into it. I do think you go a little bit too deep, but either/or, great content!
All I know is Pyramid Head is daddy af,
repent 🤣
Dang, my mind has been blown again Muse! Nice video!
I loved your investigation and information on this video, and how you compare with the Judges of ancient history. Pyramid head is one of the most beautiful depictions of the suffering of guilt, is a piece of art.
It's strange that people don't think of James when seeing the red pyramid. I think of the painting of him from the game. He's so specific to James.
I've never played silent hill games (yet) but these videos are so entertaining and enjoyable
The HD collection is on PS3, though I prefer the original copies. They're pretty expensive, so the HD collection is your best bet.
Yeah they really are.
@@eXistenZ1864 HD collection is fine if you want to play the unfinished beta versions.
IMO Pyramid Head is a driving force for those in denial, leading them to knowledge.
He was indeed a punisher in the Ancient Silent Hill culture, that is now manisfested through the city's power to those who need to remember, because remembering what they've done is the punishment/judgment itself. That's why he also got a role in Alex's story in Homecoming (although I have my doubts about that game's fidelity to the lore), since alex is also an amnesiac character that commited a crime.
So yeah, James' PH only exists to James and behaves like he does because of James. Alex's for instance is not a rappist, instead, it "shows" Alex the truth by killing a family member. It's also muscular and more "masculine" than James', since Alex "is" a military and James is a regular guy.
It's a shame Homecoming ended up being such a bad and generic game.
I got the impression that Homecoming was trying to combine the game lore with the movie lore.
@@kamui003 yeah thats lame
I played it once and never touched it again.
@@mistylee3621
Yeah, but still not as bad as Downpoor (yes, downPoor, not downpour), and Shattered Memories....
People still love those though, they have the right to, but they are so bad to me.
Same for when newcomers mention that Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness is a masterpiece..... it's still one of the worst TR games, for many reasons.
-Jill
Interesting takes (and makes sense to me) but I’m curious if you think there’s any connections to Xuchilbapa (which I’m probably misspelling, since it’s been forever since I played SH2), the “red god.” I know a lot of folks have equated that to PH (and Lobsel Vith, the “Yellow God” to Valtiel) so I’m wondering if you feel there’s any relation there, and why or why not?
Great vid, as always. Keep it up.
Nope. twitter.com/adsk4/statuses/389821108481830912
Xuchilbara in most, and xuchilbapa in another one (for some reason, maybe mispelled?)
Love your channel! 10 out of 10 grade A content!!
I believe the original intent of Pyramid Head and the idea that went into his creation during Silent Hill 2(and ignoring any information added in sequels) is....yes he has been seen by other people, but not in the form James/The Player see him. I believe Pyramid Head is a fragment of Xuchilbara(The Red God/The Crimson One). Not him pursue, but a piece of him, as is Maria. This is why both Pyramid Head and Maria both share the color red and are both opposites. Pyramid Head is physically imposing and frightening with a malicious exterior, yet he helps James. Maria is physically attractive and presents herself as caring and wanting the best for James but is selfish, and secretly despises him for rejecting her and in the end tries to kill him.
*The lies and the mist are not they, but I*
It has been viewed by other characters in the past and in the game. Walter Sullivan(pre SH4 retcon) saw it as a “Red Devil” trying to punish him, and the hospital director saw it as a “thing” that isn’t even described. Eddie made a passive comment that “he” was always bustin his balls, telling him how fat and ugly he was. This is how Eddie encountered it. It tormented him with ridicule and made him bare witness to people making fun of him endlessly(the corpses James finds in the prison). Angela most likely saw it as in incarnation of her father during the Abstract Daddy boss fight(as Masahiro Ito has stated what Angela saw was completely different from what James/The Player saw).
James saw it in the form of an executioner who repeatedly murdered an effigy of James’ wife to remind him of his terrible deed. So the only part James contributed to it’s creation was it’s visage, which was tailored to him. It’s much like Dream from the Sandman comics, as it takes different forms which are tailored to whoever encounters it. It is kindred in concept to Valtiel from Silent Hill 3 who is an angel who takes different forms based on whoever sees him.
Silent Hill has so much story potential, as greatly demonstrated in your videos, and yet Konami opts for a slot machine game!
Thanks for the effort you put in your analyses.
Never thought about how pyramid head was mentioned by other characters in SH2. This might justify his use in homecoming 🤔 but I don’t think Alex actually did anything to require his judgment
True homecoming was just a failed attempt at trying to recapture the essence of the originals without understanding the fundamentals but overall I think it was a decent game especially if it would’ve just went it’s own way instead of keeping the franchise in a half dead state
His family did I suppose.
I fuckin love your videos!
Thank you!
I didn't know the thing with James creating PH from seeing the painting on vacation was disputed. Interesting with the notes and stuff. Hadn't imagined there was another explanation before.
I always thought PH put it there himself.
@@mistylee3621 interesting alternative! I guess I only ever heard one explanation and just stopped there cos it made enough sense to me. But yours makes sense too (as does the video's).
@@Torthrodhel Thanks man. The only problem I could find with the video's explanation is that form of PH is what James sees. If he can take any form at any time it's wired that he'd show up like that portrait. But I honestly I would not be surprised if that were the case.
@@mistylee3621 I think I still go with the vacation explanation, all things considered. Since why should it be weird that they visited the historical society during a holiday, anyway? It's obviously a tourist attraction, and it's right there on the lake. Not unusual at all to think he saw that painting, or at least the photo of the old town executioners that somewhat resemble PH. The odd artistic rendition of the painting itself is supposedly due to the artist wanting to inspire awe in the town's cult authority figures, and that makes sense to me as well. Though I do have the notion now (that I lacked before) that perhaps the painting itself is not appearing in the game as it actually appears in real life, the town's magic and/or James's mental state perhaps warping it further-still than the artist might've. It might be more representative of the impression left in his unreliable memory, than the real painting.
Such a fascinating series of games that can have the care of detail needed to even cause such fandom disputes though, right? :)
@@Torthrodhel Oh yeah I see where your coming from. Although it could be that the town itself new what James was going to do what he did long before he did and pH could have been watching him the whole time being a manifestation of the red god. Perhaps he knows everyone's future and the ones called to silent hill are not beyond saving. James, Eddie, Angela they could have all been saved but Eddie was overwhelmed by his dark side and Angela was over taking with her sorrow and or her fear of her father and mother. And I accept the in the water ending as the cannon one. So James was over thrown by his lust and regret and decided to end it. Becoming one with his pyramid head guardian angel. The Maria ending is the only fully negative ending. He gives to his delusions and is lost for ever. And PH failed them all. But him becoming one with James as a punisher doesn't mean he's lost. It's how I explain him showing up in later instalments. It works right.
Another great thought provoking video
Tell me you didnt turn your pants brown that first time you are walking through the hallways in the hospital toward the elevator and suddenly see Pyramid Head walking behind Maria?. I remember jumping out of my own b hole lol it wasn’t a loud obnoxious jump scare... and was 1000 times more effective... it was just so subtle and quietly out of nowhere to the point you felt like you almost could miss it... always loved that bit.
Sato and Ito both confirmed that James saw Misty days while on vacation with Mary and that the painting was the only reason his psyche triggered PH to manifest, having been there long before James ever was. Misty days is a distorted memory of the executioners of the town who worshipped Valtiel. James has never been the creator of PH and Ito has also admitted that in the larger lore of the series, PH is just the second representation of Valtiel to be seen.
IMO Pyramid Head appears when people who feel great guilt for their actions come to Silent Hill and want to be punished like James for killing Mary.
Wonderful analysis as always 💜
I dont understand what he does with his hand in the first scene. While he watchs him he moves his hand oddly. What he does here?
@@ScoutJoe i dont believe. When he start he put his hat open to his side. Later he moves it slowy to to front and returns...
I think it is finding something in dark but maybe @thegamingmuse knows better
@Yousef Ghaneemah look just before james start to shot
@Yousef Ghaneemah after rape the manequin monster. It walks towards james and look at where it is. He extends his han to the left and later move it slowy infront to james and later back. After that james shots at him and it retreats
@@pabloraulpereyra4948 I've always thought of it as PH looking for something. Who knows how much it can see out of its helmet? I think it sensed James and was feeling around, or it could have been sensing vibrations.
This could be a stretch, but I wonder if there's a reason that it touches its face the first time you get a good look at it - not unlike James does in the opening cutscene.
Ultimately, it comes off as an exaggerated, unnatural series of movements performed by a creature that is humanoid, but slightly off so as to be disturbing.
@@A_Red_Pyramid i agree. Anyway it was a odd monent. Specially cos the game takes a lot of time to show you that.
Also i still down know if pyramid head is carbon based or sylicon based
We all have our own Pyramid Head? That must be who is always following me...
The souls in the picture look like the ghosts on SH4, interesting that PH wasn't in that game, more if Walter saw that creature.
Maria in SH2 is to James what Lisa was to Harry in SH...
Psssst... Leave ending is the canon one...
Judges= warlords
To add on to the save points that they're suppose to symbolize the reaching into the repressed mind
Take a shot glass of spirits every time she says Pyramid Head.
And I have alcohol poisoning swag.
Thank you thank you thank you
Been watching your channel all day on this spooky Sunday~
I believe if Masahiro Ito ever worked on another SH game then Pyramid Head CAN return. We as the fans see Pyramid Head as something only James can conjure up, but I believe MASAHIRO ITO manifests PH into SH games. What I’m trying to say is if Ito was working on a SH game, if he brought back PH I’m sure he’d do it in a legit way…idk what I’m saying….ramblings of a crazy lady….sorry y’all
Thank you for these symbolism videos! Silent Hill will always be my favorite horror game series since it’s not just scary-it stays with you (as is it’s driving point).
Honestly, in the Silent Hill Movie, I thought the whole psychological horror trend would finally be on Hollywood screens, but it was just one big monster throwback exhibition. The use of pyramid head was just lazy and random and had nothing to do with the character. 😒
This guy... He fucking terrifies me but only because I do understand that he is a tormentor a creature of considerable power that exists to be a dark terrible reflection of a person's worst traits. But if people could please not cosplay him so damn convincingly I'd be really appreciative.
Well said.
But I do want people to cosplay as him.
@@FocusedFighter777 I said cosplay him convincingly I don't want people to do that I don't care if they cosplay just please don't be so damn convincing with it
I am working on a petition for all Silent Hill games to be remastered for X-- Box One consoles. I am a big fan love everything about the Silent Hill movies and games. that is why I am asking others to join my petition. to bring this back to us gamer fans. lets face it this is one of those places you can't help but explore. you feel what the characters do as they appear. the music also tells you something it gives a hint of what they are like. and if sooner or later players will notice things in the game rhey didn't see the first time around. the place is creepy but at the same time also peaceful and timeless. residence are watching and no person sees they are looking out from within. and not every monster is a manifestation of things in lives of outsiders no way. the Pyramid man could be anyone we still don't know what it is. I don't believe it's Walter Sullivan or Eric Gein. and it sure as hell ain't Jack the Ripper. hey could it be Robbie the Rabbit? no not really alright well I still keep guessing. I'll chugged a few health drinks then do more exploring later. right now Maria has come to dance for us lets watch.
We need Silent Hill 2 Remake !
I don't think so the res 2 remake was nothing but cringe and I refuse to let that happen sh 2. They will never get a remake right mark my words.
no.
@@kmfdm5 Thank you.
Why? SH 2 still looks amazing and plays well.
You’d probably kick ass at talking about Resident Evil 4 enemies and the evil within enemies in depth lol
i still wonder if james father knows that his son is lost because in the room the father is married to two women and solivan didnt kill him thank god
Imo all the monsters in SH universe are not from the main character mind but the antagonist of the game or 😊
nice work!
5:16 :thinking emoji:
Pyramid Head is exclusive to James.
I hate that twistin stretching thing he does when james is in the closet like…wtf is it doing? Cus its not stretching its muscles i doubt it needs to do that and the thing with its hand…is it looking? Or just feeling around…pyramid head fucking scares me.
I mean….he doesnt exactly throw…he kinda whacks you off the roof with his knife from what i can see just be glad he use the blunt end..ithink
I thought Walter's Red Devil was Jimmy Stone…
That cosplay is hilarious
Awesome video x can you please analyse the born from a wish segment where you play as maria sometime in the future x would love to hear your thoughts. Hope your doing amazing
Pyramid head gave us nightmares, but when we someone cosplaying Pyramid head we get excited and want a pic.
You're wrong . . Piramid is just the demon king of silent hill.
It is carbon based or silicon based?
Xylophone based
Spooky.
Yes
Hey muse
Ey Muse, in "Homecoming", there's an ending where the main character becomes a new Pyramid Head. What's the meaning behind it ?
A poor passing of the torch, unrelated to the original artistic intent of the creators of SH2. I wouldn't relate the two, instead I would look at both as separate from eachother in every way. Appreciate the SH2 pyramid head in its way, and appreciate the Homecoming pyramid head as its own separate story.
I always interpreted it as not becoming “the” new Pyramid Head, but becoming “a” Pyramid Head. There’s at least some implication that Alex’s father was in the Order of Judges as well.
I suspect that the order of folks who wear the helm are what was captured in the painting Day of Judgment in the Historical Society. They are humans (or slightly-psychic cultists) who wear that for religious and ritual significance (possibly due to Xuchilbapa or a “real” Pyramid Head influencing them.) They are not the same as whatever it is that stalks James through SH2. Alex as Pyramid Head is that sort. The one he sees early in the game isn’t the “real” one, either; it’s either one of the Judges (potentially his father) or a subconscious manifestation of one.
But that’s just my two cents.
Nothing but Konami trying to be symbolic and deep spoilers they failed.
Why were they two pyramid heads in the final scene instead of one?
I most certainly understood his creation in 2 but I'm not gonna be another miserable and butt-hurt just because they used him again. I would love to see even more of him some day.
Silent hills mayhaps.
@@mistylee3621 That got cancelled :(
@@SarahnatorX Trust and believe I know but it can't hurt dream that maby one day we'll see team silent back together and make as it was meant to be.
@@mistylee3621 I'd love that. I loved the whole MKultra and demonic radio thing on the demo it was different but still silent hill and creepy.
@@SarahnatorX yeah it was pretty damn good. There were some questionably designed mechanics but they weren't that noticeable all around it's solid.
I know everyone likes silent hills but what does it have to do with silent hill itself
Avalanche Reviews must be pretty upset with you. When do we get the debate!?
No no no. James didn't affect the town. The town affected him. Read "The Heart of Darkness". The town is able to reflect what is in the heart of who enters it. Pyramid head was helping James face his own inner darkness and each encounter guides you to a new level. Pyramid is nothing more than a manifestation of James desire to be punished for killing his wife. Once he knows "the truth" he "doesn't need Pyramid head anymore" and he kills himself. Pyramid head is a symbol exclusive for James and is seen by no one will else but Maria who was also "born from a wish".
Remember where it sais "if you want to see your wife again, you should probably kill yourself". All the characters have thier own dilemmas and therefore the town provides thier own experiences. Angela's manifestation was the "abstract daddy" and was only seen by James because unlike Eddie, James was worthy of redemption and was able to enter into her own personal world on a few occasions. Pyramid head is also a character of the "other Silent Hill" though it was possible he was a man when he lived. There is a picture of him wearing a ceremonial robe with a Pyramid head red cross on top. If Silent Hill can delude the world around it, imagine what it could have done to a former cult member?
Pyramid head began and ended with James.
All other appearances in later games was a cheap way later developers who weren't part of Team Silent to try and keep the theme alive by making Pyramid head an iconic figure. It began with the movie and was done in a cheap way without a deep explanation... It was team Silent that were intrigued by the occult and used Jung's and Frued's theories of the mind id/superego, ego and used them to make sense of the characters and psychological plot.
I think each character ads a layer to the town.
All the monsters represent something in their own way and are very unique. Like for example The Nurse represents how Mary was sick in the hospital. This video is bad. 1:20
I always wondered why there were 2 Pyramid Heads. If is it because there were two worlds with one of each in them, that collided in the same way the two worlds of Silent Hill collided in a way that represents James' reconception of reality and 'sub-reality'(?). I always puzzled me how Pyramid head also serves as a sort of guide for James, and could this possibly mean that these are the two guides in the real(fog) world and the otherworld respectively? They are also symbolized by the two eggs, the scarlet and the rusted. The scarlet likely symbolizes James' newest (and freshest) kill in the otherworld, and the rusty egg likely symbolizes his old kill of Mary in the real world. When he defeats the two Pyramid heads he pushes on through a door that can only be opened by these two eggs, perhaps symbolizing this exact culmination of the two worlds and the two realities.
It's just a thought. :)
I like to imagine it's an intimidation thing because James was used to him by that point. And he wanted to my make sure his job of restoring James to the courageous man he was. Just another thought.
Jonas BM second pyramid head represents James’ guilt for killing Eddie, so now he carries the burden of two lives he’s taken.
You forgot that Pyramid Head also represents literal fan-service by ripping Anna's clothes off in the movie.
Here's a joke for you. What does James call it when Mary pleads for him to stop?
Pillow talk.
Your wrong for that and I love it.
Pyramid Head should be in Soul Calibur...and we need Konami to start caring again.
Almost 30
Lives with mom
Makes silent hill lore videos
Single
sounds ideal
?
And the problem?